Diane J. Savino

Top News

State Senators Jeffrey D. Klein, (D-Bronx/ Westchester), Diane Savino, (D-Staten Island/ Brooklyn), David J. Valesky, (D-Oneida) and David Carlucci, (D-Rockland), today announced their departure from the Senate Democratic Conference and the formation of a third legislative conference. The four senators will caucus together as the Independent Democratic Conference. As a group, they will push for commonsense solutions to the problems facing this state, break the hyper-partisan gridlock that has gripped this chamber, and work to restore the public's trust in its public officials.

by New York Real Estate Lawyers Blog on 14. Dec, 2010 in Public Interest

Governor Paterson Signs Wage Theft Prevention Act Yesterday, Governor David A. Paterson signed into law S.8380/A.11726, the Wage Theft Prevention Act, which addresses the failure by employers to pay statutorily-mandated minimum wages and overtime by requiring annual notifications of wages, expanding notifications, enhancing available remedies for wage law violations and strengthening whistleblower protections. The Governor also announced that he has acted on ten additional bills.

A bill signed into law Monday by Governor David paterson targets employers who illegally underpay their workers -- a practice advocates say is all too common. NY1's Bobby Cuza filed the following report.State officials say it happens all the time: New Yorkers getting ripped off by their employers who pay them less than minimum wage, fail to pay proper overtime or otherwise illegally withhold wages.

ALBANY, NY (12/13/2010)(readMedia)-- Governor David A. Paterson today signed into law S.8380/A.11726, the Wage Theft Prevention Act, which addresses the failure by employers to pay statutorily-mandated minimum wages and overtime by requiring annual notifications of wages, expanding notifications, enhancing available remedies for wage law violations and strengthening whistleblower protections. The Governor also announced that he has acted on ten additional bills.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As Staten Islanders ease into the spirit of the season, a free-to-the-public display of train sets with door prizes and raffles this weekend in Castleton Corners and a toy giveaway on Dec. 17 will spread the joy of what, for many borough residents, is indeed the most glorious time of the year.

This weekend, at Clove Lakes Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, the third annual Holiday Train Show will allow visitors to view three historic train sets laid out in an elaborate miniversion of real life.

You don't get to celebrate too many victories on the state legislative level these days, but there should be a few loud cheers for its passage this week of a new law that makes it a bigger crime to steal wages from your workers.The bill means the next time an employer flips off a worker like Vicente Martinez Ávila -- whose story of working hundreds of hours of overtime in a Brooklyn cemetery for nothing is told in this week's Voice -- he risks getting slammed with tough penalties.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- State Sen. Diane Savino hailed Assembly passage yesterday of a bill she sponsored in the Senate, which she said would protect workers from "unscrupulous employers" who "steal" their earnings by paying less than minimum wage.

"Stealing from employees not only hurts families, it hurts communities," said Ms. Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn). "It also makes honest employers less competitive."

But Staten Island business leaders said the new measure could drive up costs for borough small businesses and consumers.

One bill quadruples penalties for employers who don't follow minimum wage and overtime laws; a second bill nearly triples the pay for certain building-service workers.

By Daniel Massey

The Assembly overwhelmingly approved two measures Tuesday aimed at raising standards for low-wage workers across the state.

Some lawmakers argue that wage theft not only hurts workers, but makes it tougher for businesses that follow the law to remain competitive. The new law would also boost state tax revenues by about $50 million a year, advocates said.

On Tuesday, November 30, 2010 the New York State Assembly gave final legislative approval to the Wage Theft Prevention Act (A11726/S8380), introduced by Assemblymember Carl Heastie and Senator Diane Savino. Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh, a prime sponsor of the bill who had spoken in favor of immediate passage at an event organized by supporters on Monday, called the Assembly’s action “a major victory for justice and decency in the way we treat workers, especially low-wage workers, in New York.”

ALBANY, N.Y. — The Assembly has given final legislative approval to a measure that toughens penalties on bosses who illegally withhold workers' pay.Sen. Diane Savino, sponsor of the bill, says Gov. David Paterson is expected to sign it.

One survey estimates New York City employers shortchange their low-wage workers by almost $1 billion a year.

“If the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) wants to truly move people out of their cars and onto rail, extending a subway to Staten Island is the way to do it,” said Savino making her proposal recently.

“I am deeply disappointed in today’s refusal, on the part of certain members of the State Senate, to put decency and common sense before playing politics. “In saying ‘no’ to saving the New York City Off-Track Betting Corporation, they said no to the more than 1,000 workers who are now left jobless, smack dab in the middle of the holiday season. They said no to millions of dollars worth of revenue that the entire state benefits from. They said no to the thousands of other jobs and industries—throughout the state—that are created and fueled by the New York City OTB. “Instead they voted yes to partisanship and political grandstanding, and the unfortunate victims are taxpayers and the hundreds of workers who are now unemployed.”

Hello All,In preparation for the upcoming holiday season, the Food Bank has provided a list of available food pantries in the area. For those who need assistance, the Food Bank’s Food Program Locator lists (by zip-code) the food pantries, soup kitchens, and senior centers that are funded by the Food Bank For New York City . Please consult the attached pdf file for a list of programs by zip code. For the most up to date information, please consult: http://www.foodbanknyc.org/go/our-programs/our-food-program-network/food-program-locator

So now Mayor Michael Bloomberg is proposing his own version of a rail tunnel connection between Manhattan and New Jersey. Plans call for the No. 7 line to be extended to 12th Avenue and 34th Street on the West Side. But the mayor has floated the idea of extending the No. 7 subway line even farther, into New Jersey Transit’s hub at the Secaucus Junction station.